US 20130110149Al (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2013/0110149 A1 Schomburg (43) Pub. Date: May 2, 2013 (54) SYNTHETIC GEMSTONES SUITABLE FOR Publication Classi?cation CONTACT WITH HUMAN TISSUE AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF (51) Int- Cl A44C 7/00 (2006.01) (71) Applicant: Fritz Schomburg, Madison, WI (US) A61B 17/34 (2006.01) (52) US. Cl. (72) Inventorl Fritz Schomburg, Madison, WI (US) USPC ............................................. .. 606/188; 63/12 (21) Appl.No.: 13/661,790 (22) Filed: Oct. 26, 2012 (57) ABSTRACT Related US- Application Data The present invention provides synthetic gemstones foruse in (60) Provisional application No. 61/552,988, ?led on Oct. Contact Wlth human nssue’ Composmons’ devlces and sys' 28, 2011. tems comprising such gemstones, and methods of use thereof. Patent Application Publication May 2, 2013 US 2013/0110149 A1 FIGURE 1 US 2013/0110149 A1 May 2,2013 SYNTHETIC GEMSTONES SUITABLE FOR tissue and to avoid contact betWeen other materials of the CONTACT WITH HUMAN TISSUE AND composition and the human or animal skin or tissue. In some METHODS OF USE THEREOF embodiments, the object consists entirely of synthetic gem stone material. In some embodiments, the object contacts the [0001] This application claims priority to provisional surface of the skin of a human or animal. In some embodi patent application Ser. No. 61/552,988, ?led Oct. 28, 2011, ments, the object is inserted into a ?stula of the skin of a Which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. human or animal. In some embodiments, the object is inserted the tissue of a human or animal. In some embodiments, the FIELD object is: a piece of jeWelry, a medical implant, a dental [0002] The present invention provides synthetic gemstones implant, a communication device, or an entertainment device. for use in contact With human tissue, compositions, devices [0006] In some embodiments, the present invention pro and systems comprising such gemstones, and methods of use vides methods of preventing adverse reaction to an object that thereof. is placed in direct and continuous contact With human or animal skin or tissue comprising replacing the object With a BACKGROUND composition as described herein. [0003] Objects, particularly metallic objects, Which are in BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS direct and continuous contact With human skin and other tissues (e.g., jeWelry (e.g., earrings, arm bands, necklaces, [0007] FIG. 1 shoWs an illustration of an exemplary body body piercings, tissue stretchers, etc., implants, dental Work, piercing plug With a cylinder-like shape that is narroWed in etc.) often cause allergic or other adverse reactions on and/or the middle and ?ares out at either end. in the skin or tissue and spreading out from the point of contact. The consequence of these reactions is typically in the DETAILED DESCRIPTION form of itching, Wet skin sores, and/orpainful rash of the skin. [0008] In some embodiments, the present invention pro In some instances the reactions may affect the organism gen vides synthetic gemstones (e.g., ruby, sapphire, emerald, erally, and may lead to disorders of various parts of the body. aquamarine, red beryl, goshenite, heliodor, morganite, etc.) In addition, porous objects that are placed in contact With and compositions, devices, objects, etc. made thereof con?g human skin or tissues can provide venues for bacterial ured for direct and/or continuous contact With human skin groWth, and may present a potential infection risk. and/or tissue. In some embodiments, compositions, devices, objects of the present invention consist only of synthetic SUMMARY gemstone and do not contain other materials such as metals [0004] In some embodiments, the present invention pro (e.g., to prevent allergic reaction-causing contact With non vides compositions comprising synthetic gemstone material, gemstone material, to prevent providing a vector for bacterial Wherein the composition is con?gured to place the synthetic groWth, etc.). In some embodiments, compositions, devices, gemstone material in direct and continuous contact With objects of the present invention comprise synthetic gemstone human or animal skin or tissue and to avoid contact betWeen and one or more other materials, but are designed, con?gured, other materials of the composition and the human or animal shaped, etc. to place only the synthetic gemstone material, skin or tissue. In some embodiments, the region of direct and and not other materials (e.g., potentially allergic reaction continuous contact comprises at least 0.1 cm2 of surface area. causing materials, metals, etc.), in contact (e.g., direct and In some embodiments, the region of direct and continuous continuous contact) With the skin or other tissues. In some contact comprises at least 0.25 cm2 of surface area. In some embodiments, compositions, devices, objects of the present embodiments, the region of direct and continuous contact invention are designed, con?gured, shaped, etc. to minimize comprises at least 1 cm2 of surface area. In some embodi skin and/or tissue contact With non-gemstone materials. ments, the duration of direct and continuous contact com [0009] Different processes have been developed over the prises at least 1 hour. In some embodiments, the duration of years for the synthetic production of synthetic gemstones and direct and continuous contact comprises at least 4 hours. In their underlying materials (Bahadur: a Handbook of Precious some embodiments, the the duration of direct and continuous Stones. 1943. Retrieved 2007 Aug. 19.; herein incorporated contact comprises at least 1 day (e.g., at least 2, 3, 4, 5, . ., 10, by reference in its entirety). The production of synthetic . ., etc. days). In some embodiments, the composition con rubies, sapphires, emeralds, aquamarine, etc. is Well under sists entirely of synthetic gemstone material. In some stood in the ?eld, see, for example US. Pat. No. 3,950,596; embodiments, the composition is jeWelry, a medical implant, US. Pat. No. 3,088,194; US. Pat. No. 2,488,507; US. Pat. a dental implant, an entertainment device, or a communica No. 2,690,062; US. Pat. No. 3,539,379; US. Pat. No. 4,039, tion device. In some embodiments, the composition is con 726; US. Pat. No. 6,475,942; US. Pat. Pub. No. 2002/ ?gured to contact the surface of the skin of a human or animal. 0135108; US. Pat. No. 6,572,670; US. Pat. No. 4,476,090; In some embodiments, the composition is con?gured for US. Pat. No. 4,543,342; US. Pat. No. 4,835,023; US. Pat. insertion into a ?stula of the skin of a human or animal. In No. 4,030,317; all of Which are herein incorporated by refer some embodiments, the composition is con?gured for inser ence in their entireties. tion into the tissue of a human or animal. [0010] In some embodiments, synthetic gemstones (e.g., [0005] In some embodiments, the present invention pro rubies) are produced by the boule, oxyhydrogen-?ame, or vides methods of preventing adverse reactions to an object Verneuil process; or variations thereon. Typically, in such a that is placed in direct and continuous contact With human or process, alumina poWder is fed from a hopper With a ?ne animal skin or tissue comprising manufacturing the object to mesh screen bottom into an oxygen stream. The oxygen ?oWs be con?gured to place the synthetic gemstone material in doWnWardly through the central tube of an oxhydrogen direct and continuous contact With human or animal skin or bumer. Hydrogen is fed to the ?ame through an annular US 2013/0110149 A1 May 2,2013 passage surrounding the central tube. The ?ame from the Widths, lengths, heights, etc.) can be achieved using cutting burner is discharged into a furnace containing a ceramic ped and grinding methods described herein and/ or understood in estal. The pedestal is centered in the furnace below the bottom the ?eld. In some embodiments, specialiZed tools and/or tip of the central tube of the burner, and at a predetermined implements are used to create speci?c shapes out of the syn vertical distance beloW said tip. The poWder is fed intermit thetic gemstone material (e.g., curves, ?ared ends, sharp cor tently through the central tube by tapping the hopper With a ners, ?at sides, etc.). hammer. The poWder falling through the ?ame builds up as a [0013] In some embodiments, the material is provided and mass, either on the pedestal or on the tip of a thin corundum ?nished so as to be non-porous and smooth so as to avoid any crystal supported on the pedestal. As the poWder builds up on geometry that facilitates the accumulation of biological mate the upper surface of this mass, the pedestal is loWered in order rial or moisture that provide a groWth environment for micro to maintain a constant distance betWeen the bottom tip of the organisms. central tube and the top of the groWing crystal. The poWder [0014] In some embodiments, any synthetically-produced feed rate is adjusted at ?rst so that the diameter of the groWing gemstone that has attractive properties for direct skin or tissue crystal increases. When the diameter has attained the desired contact may ?nd use in embodiments of the present invention. dimension, the poWder feed rate is adjusted to maintain this In some embodiments, synthetic gemstones that ?nd use in diameter. When the ?ame temperature, poWder feed rate, and embodiments of the present invention include, but are not pedestal WithdraWal rate are properly coordinated, a cylindri limited to: alexandrite and other varieties of chrysoberyl, cal monocrystalline mass of corundum (e. g., alpha-alumina), aquamarine and other varieties of beryl, chrysocolla, chryso knoWn as a boule, is groWn. The boule is then heat-treated or prase, diamond, emerald, feldspar (moonstone), garnet, annealed at about 1900-19500 C.